Grinding machine steady rest



July 27, 1937. c. G. FLYGARE GRINDING MACHINE STEADY REST Filed July 21, 1936 l'gf) Patented July 27, 1937 ATENT oFF GRINDING MACHINE STEADY ansr Carl G. Flygare, Worcester, Mass, assignor .to

Norton Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 21, 1936, Serial No. 91,729

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a grinding machine, and more particularly to a work steadying rest for a cylindrical grinding machine.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple and thoroughly practical work steadying rest for a grinding machine. Another object of the invention is to provide a steady rest which is simple in operation and adjustment for supporting a cylindrical work piece during a grinding operation. A further object of the invention is to provide a steady rest in which opposed bearing shoes are provided to steady the work and thereby prevent vibration during a grinding operation. Another object f of the invention is to provide a steady rest in which one work steadying shoe is maintained in an adjustably fixed position and a second shoe is moved into rigid engagement with the work during a grinding operation. A further object of the invention is to provide a steady rest for a grinding machine in which the Work steadying shoes are readily adjustable transversely. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as willbe exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. I

39 In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the improved steady rest, showing the work steadying shoes 5 in an operative position in engagement with the Work and the grinding wheel in an operative position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the steady rest as shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, on a reduced scale, showing the upper steady rest shoe removed to an inoperative or loading position; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 45 4-4 of Fig. 1. I

As illustrated in the drawing, the improved steady rest has been illustrated as applied to an ordinary cylindrical grinding machine comprising a longitudinally movable table H] which 50 serves to rotatably support a work piece II on the usual head and footstock (not shown). A

rotatable grinding wheel I2 is provided to grind the work piece to the required size.

In order to support the work piece ll during the grinding operationso as to prevent vibration thereof, an improved steady rest is provided comprising a steady rest base 15 having surfaces I6, I! and i8 which mate with correspondingly shaped surfaces on the upper surface of the table [0: and is arranged to be clamped in position on. the table ill by means of a clamping block i9 and a screw 20. The base l5 serves as a support for a transversely movable steady rest frame 2!. The steady restframe 2! is provided with a dovetailed slideway 22 which mateswith a correspondingly shaped dovetailed way 23 formed integral with the steady rest base I 5. A fiat slideway 24 is provided on the under surface of the steady rest frame 2| which mates with a corresponding slideway on the base l5 and serves to support the rear end; of the frame 2!. I I

In order to -adjust the steady rest in setting up the rest for a given grinding operation, a manually operable adjustment is provided to adjust the steady rest frame 24 transversely relative to the steady rest base l5. This mechanism may comprise a rotatable screw 2? which is rotatably supported in a bearing 28 in the upwardly extending projection 29 of the steady rest base l5. The screw 2'3 is screw threaded into a correspondingly threaded aperture 39 in the steady rest frame 2i. The outer end of the screw 2? is provided with a knurled adjusting knob 3!. In order to facilitateadjustment of the frame 2|, a graduated dial 32 is carried by the screw 21 adjacent to the knob 3!. A zero or index point 33 is mounted on the upwardly projecting portion 29 of the steady rest base i5. By rotation of the knob 3! in eitherdirection, the steady rest frame 2! may be, adjusted to the required extent.

A steady rest shoe is provided on said frame for supporting the surface, of the work piece II preferably below its axis of rotation. In the construction as illustrated; the lower steady rest shoe comprises two spacedshoes 40 and M which are provided for engagement with the under surface of the work piece it below the work axis. The. shoes M and M are arranged so that they may be adjusted toward and from the axis of the work piece H to facilitate setting up thesteady rest. In the preferred construction, as illustrated in the drawing, the steady rest shoes 40 and 4| are supported at one end of apivotally mounted arm 52 which is connected by a stud 43- with a boss 44 projecting from the uppersurface of the steady rest frame 2|. Anadjusting screw 45 is provided to adjust the'outer'endiof the arm 42 vertically to position the shoes lfl and. in the desired relationship with the axis of the work piece II. The arm 42 is arranged so that it may be clamped and held in adjusted position during the grinding operation. The lever 42 is provided with an elongated slot 46. A clamping screw 47 supported by, an upwardly projecting portion 48 of the steady rest frame 2! rides in the elongated slot 46 and serves to clamp the lever or arm. 42 in adjusted position. A spring 58 interposed between the steady rest frame 2I and the outer end of the lever 62 serves to dampen any vibration of the lever during grinding.

'The lower steady rest shoe including the work engaging shoes and M are adjusted vertically so that their bearing surfaces will support a work piece of a finished size. When a work piece to be ground is inserted in the machine and the head and footstock centers are brought into a supporting position, the axis of the work piece will be sprung by the steady rest during the initial grinding operation. As the grinding operation proceeds, the axis of the work approaches its normal position, which is reached when the workpiece is reduced to the predetermined size.

It is desirable to provide an adjustable steady rest shoe to hold the work piece I I in engagement with the shoes 40 and 4| during the grinding operation so as to prevent vibration thereof. A steady rest shoe 55 is arranged to engage the upper surface of the work piece I I above the axis of rotation thereof and at a point substantially diametrically opposite to the steady rest shoes to and 4|. The steady rest shoe 55 is preferably arrangedso that it may be moved to and from an operating position to facilitate loading of work pieces into the machine. In the preferred construction, the shoe 55 is mounted on a pivotally mounted arm 55 which is connected at its lower end to the steady rest frame 2| by means of a stud 51. The shoe 55 is mounted so that it may 0 be adjusted toward and from the work axis in setting up the machine for various sizes of Work. In order to obtain the desired adjustment of the shoe'55, the stud 51 is preferably provided With an eccentric portion 58 whereby rotation of the eccentric will adjust the arm 56 relative to the frame 2I so that the shoe engages the work as required. A nut 59 on a threaded portion 60 of the stud 5'! serves to lock the stud in adjusted position.

Itis desirable to provide an actuating mechanism for the movable steady rest shoe 55 so that it may be moved rapidly to and from an operating position to facilitate loading and unloading of work pieces. A manually operable lever is provided for moving the shoe 55 toward and from an operating position. The lever 65 is connected to a stud I55 supported in bossesB'I and 68 projecting upwardly from the steady rest frame ZI. Toggle levers are connected between the stud 55 and the end of the lever 56 so that when the manually operable lever 65 is moved either upwardly or downwardly, the shoe 55 will be moved into or out of an operative position relative to the work piece II. One end of a toggle lever 69 is mounted on the stud 66 and is connected so that itmoves with-the lever 65..v The other 'end of the lever 69 is provided with two outwardly extending arms 10 and .II which straddle the end of a toggle lever 12 and are connected thereto by meansof a stud I3. The other end of the lever I2 is connected by a stud I3 with the upper endof the shoe carrying arm 56, so that when the lever- 65 is moved upwardly into the position'illustrated in Fig. 1, with the levers 69 and 12 engaging a stop 14,.the'shoe 55 is moved into by providing a yieldable connection between the toggle levers B9 and I2. The toggle lever I2 is provided with a cut-out portion I5 within which a plunger I6 may slide. The reduced portion 'I'I of the plunger slides within a hole I5 within the lever 11. The head of the plunger 76 engages a slabbed-off surface IS on the stud I3 and serves to prevent the stud I3 from turning as the toggle levers 69 and I2 are actuated. A spring 35 surrounds the stud TI and is interposed between the head I6 of the'plunger and a surface 8! at the end of the cut-out portion I5.

When the toggle levers 69 and I2 are moved into an operative position (Fig. 1), the lever 56 is moved in a clockwise direction to position the shoe 55 in rigid engagement with the work piece I I. During this movement, the spring is com- I pressed. As the size of the work piece II is reduced during grinding, the compressed spring 85 maintains the shoe 55 rigidly in engagement with the periphery of the work piece I I.

A spring 85 is connected at one end to a stud 86 carried by the lever 65 and is connected at the other end to a stud 87 carried by the steady rest frame'2I and serves to hold the operating lever 55 either in an operating or an inoperative position, as desired.

The operation of this steady rest will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure. Assuming the steady rest shoes 40 and II to have been adjusted in a vertical direction by means of the adjusting screw 45 and clamped in adjusted position by means of the clamping stud' II, and also assuming the steady rest frame 2i to have been adjusted transversely by means of the adjusting knob 3| so that the shoes 40 and M are positioned to support a work piece of finished size, a work piece II is then inserted in the machine and the head and footstock centers are moved into driving engagement with the work so as to support the work piece in operative relation therein. The operating lever 55 may then be moved from the inoperative position as illustrated in Fig. 3 into the operative position as illustrated in Fig. 1, which serves to shift the toggle levers 69 and I2 into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby moving the upper steady rest shoe 55 into operative engagement with the work piece I I. The grinding operation may then proceed to the desired extent, after which the manually operable lever 65 may be moved downwardly into the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to again move the steady rest shoe 55 to an inoperative position so as to facilitate loading of the work piece.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the aceompanying drawing is to be interpreted as 11- lustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a steady rest frame, an adjustable work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work below the work axis, means to adjust said shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, a second work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work above the work axis, and a manually operable toggle lever to move said second shoe into and away from operative engagement with the work, said toggle lever being arranged to hold said second shoe in an operative position.

2. In .a steady rest for a grinding machine, a steady rest frame, an adjustable work steadying .shoe arranged to engage the work below the work axis, means to adjust said shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, means to lock said shoe in adjusted position, a second work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work above the work axis, means to adjust the shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, and a manually operable toggle lever mechanism to move said second shoe into and away from operative engagement with the work, said toggle lever being arranged to hold said second shoe in an operative position.

3. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a base, a transversely movable steady rest frame supported on said base, slideways on said frame mating with slideways on the base, means to adjust the frame transversely relative to the base, a steady rest shoe arranged to engage and steady a work piece, means to adjust said shoe toward or from the work axis, means to lock said shoe in adjusted position, a second steady rest shoe arranged to engage and steady the work at a point opposite to the first shoe, and means including a manually operable toggle lever connection between the second shoe and the frame to move the same to and from an operative position, said toggle lever being arranged to lock said second shoe in an operative position.

4. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a transversely movable steady rest frame, means to adjust said frame transversely, a steady rest shoe which is arranged to engage and steady the work at a point below the work axis, means to adjust the position of said shoe relatively toward or from,

the work axis, means to lock said shoe in adjusted position, a second shoe arranged to engage the work piece at a point opposite the first shoe, a pivotally mounted lever on said frame to support said second shoe, and means including a manually operable lever mechanism arranged to move said shoe into or away from an operating position.

5. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a steady rest frame, a-steady rest shoe which is arranged to engage and steady the work, means to adjust the position of said shoe, a second shoe arranged to engage the work at a point opposite the first shoe, a pivotally mounted lever on said frame to support said second shoe, means including a manually operable lever mechanism arranged to move said lever and shoe into or away from an operating position, and yieldable means in said lever connections rigidly to maintain the second shoe in operative engagement with the work piece as it is reduced in size during grinding.

6. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a base, a work steadying shoe arranged to engage and steady the work, means to adjust said shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, a second work steadying shoe arranged to engage and steady the work opposite to the first shoe, means to adjust the second shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, a manually operable toggle lever to move said second shoe into and away from operative engagement with the work, and yieldable connections between said toggle lever rigidly to maintain the second shoe in operative engagement with the work during the grinding operation.

'7. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a base, a transversely movable frame thereon, manual means to adjust the frame relative to the base, a lower adjustable work steadying shoe arranged to engage and steady the work below the work axis, means to adjust said shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, a second work steadying shoe arranged to engage and steady the work above the work axis and opposite to the lower shoe, means to adjust the second shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, a manually operable toggie lever to move said second shoe into and away from operative engagement with the work, and yieldable connections between said toggle lever rigidly to maintain the second shoe in operative engagement with the work during the grinding operation.

8. In a steady rest for a grinding machine, a base, a transversely movable slide thereon, manual means to adjust the frame relative to the base, a lower work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work below the work axis, means including a pivotally mounted lever to support said shoe, means to adjust the position of said lever so that the shoe supports the work during the grinding operation, a second work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work above the work axis, a pivotally mounted lever to support said shoe which is arranged to swing the shoe toward and from an operative position, an adjustable eccentric pivot stud for supporting said lever to facilitate adjustment of said shoe relatively toward and from the work axis, means including toggle levers to move said shoe into or away from operative engagement with the work piece before and after a grinding operation.

CARL G. FLYGARE. 

